January 24, 2015: Hej Górale!
The Gorals (Polish: Górale; Slovak: Gorali; Cieszyn Silesian: Gorole; literally "highlanders") are a group of indigenous people found in southern Poland, northern Slovakia, and in the region of Cieszyn Silesia in the Czech Republic (Silesian Gorals). There is also a significant Goral diaspora in the area of Bukovina in western Ukraine and in northern Romania, as well as in Chicago, the seat of the Polish Highlanders Alliance of North America.
Traditional Gorol wooden house (drzewiónka) near Filipka mountain meadow in Silesian Beskids
Young Gorals of Żywiec (pl: górale żywieccy) during performance at 43rd Week of Beskid Region Culture in Żywiec
In Poland they live in the region of Podhale of the Tatra Mountains and parts of the Beskids (Cieszyn Silesia, Silesian Beskids, Żywiec Beskids). In present-day Slovakia they live in 4 separate groups: in northern Spiš (34 villages subdivided in two groups), Orava and Kysuce (2 villages) and smaller groups in 7 other enclave villages in northern Slovakia.
Goral of Podhale – member of Trebunie-Tutki folk band from Zakopane
Gorals are part of a continuum of Carpathian Slavic highlander groups, including Hutsuls, Lemkos, and Boykos. The various dialects spoken by the Gorals descend from Proto-Slavic from the Eastern Lechitic, Old Polish area, superimposed by Slovak. In other words, the language is of Polish origin, but has been influenced by Slovak in recent centuries. In addition to Polish, the language contains some vocabulary of other origins, including Slovak, Vlach, and words of uncertain origin that have cognates in other languages of the Carpathian region. Mazurzenie may occur.
For most Gorals today, the decisive factor in their self-identification with a nationality is not ethnic but territorial. For example, those living in areas under a long tradition of belonging to the Polish state identify themselves as Polish, while those living in Slovakia have identified themselves as Slovaks, with notable exceptions to this rule on both sides of the border. While the origin of the Goral dialect is Polish,[1] the language of Gorals in Slovakia and in the Czech Republic is gradually shifting and increasingly becoming more similar to the literary standard in their respective countries. Silesian Gorals of the Czech Republic identify themselves on the nationality level as Poles and are members of the Polish minority in Zaolzie, which is proved by their communal activity – annual Gorolski Święto festival held in Jablunkov (Jabłonków) is a showcase of a local Polish Goral traditions and is organized by the PZKO (Polish Cultural and Educational Union). This Gorol festival preserves the traditions of the Polish nationality group in Zaolzie.[2] It is the largest cultural and folklore festival in Zaolzie area gathering thousands of spectators each day of festivities.
However, in none of the towns and villages of the area the Poles form a majority and some local Gorals identify themselves on the nationality level as Czechs. In this respect the village of Hrčava (the second easternmost village in the Czech Republic), with vast majority of citizens declaring Czech nationality, can be mentioned. In this village the Poles form only a 2% minority.[3]
Local Gorals formed (as indigenous people) a majority in the past. They speak the regional dialect in everyday communication.
Historically, the issue of their ethnic identity has been controversial and resulted in claims and counterclaims by both Poland and Czechoslovakia. Gorals, like many other peasant communities in Central Europe, determined their own ethnic identities within the nation state system during the 19th and early 20th century.[4] Although nationalist propaganda was generated by both Poles and Slovaks, this process of the Gorals' identification with a nationality was still not complete when the border was finalized in 1924. A notable example were Ferdynand Machay, a priest born in Jabłonka, Orava, Piotr Borowy from Rabča, Orava and Wojciech Halczyn from Lendak, Spiš, who went to the Paris Peace Conference, 1919 and, during a personal audience, lobbied president Thomas Woodrow Wilson to sign these lands over to Poland. After the world wars, some of the Gorals who had opted for a different national identity to the state they found themselves in emigrated to their chosen side of the border.[citation needed] On the other hand, in the present day, some Gorals opt for the ethnic identity of the neighbouring state, rather than the one they live in[citation needed].
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gorals

Listener comments!

1/22 2:02am
neil:

mountain dancers ov poland 1973 thee high tatra mountians<inquiring minds want to know> never ask a guy dancing with an axe for footnotes...<pole axes>do strippers in poland pole dance?<shake that axe>third line in polish anthem: poland is not yet lost- "what thee alien force has taken from us" who were thee "aliens"? with thee third partition ov poland<1795>poland was removed from thee map, attempted cultural eradication. catherine II and stanislaw august poniatowski relationship from allies to opponents. lovers to war <honey, i think we've grown apart> will this be on thee test?

You’re welcome, Elf. There was another animation I saw that was more Europe-generic that showed all of the borders over the centuries. The most fascinating thing? Spains borders never change much. Nobody wants to deal with the Pyrenees.

3:38am
Greg from Bloomfield:

Just thought I'd let you know that I woke up to get water and WINTER WONDERLAND!!! Good night!

Fun fact is that górals really like mussels, and they collect them when they visit Baltic Sea. Some of the górals migrate to live by the sea, usually later in life, since it is especially exotic and alluring to them.

And yeah, I do think there are a lot of similarities between our górals and american indians. Historically górals live in close proximity to unforgiving nature, and hunting and travelling is an important part of their culture. However, I think that similarities are so uncanny that it would be hard to explain them without the terms like collective unconscious :)

shit. laibach is playing a north american tour. just looked it up now im distracted. kinda a dream band for me to see.<flipping out>dates in new york, chicago and denver.<yeow>!!!! this song is good too has jajoukan elements.